SENATOR ROGER BEDFORD

CAPITOL REPORT

August 20, 2010

This past week has been a busy one as I traveled through the senate district as well as to Montgomery.

I was able to meet with Mayor D.W. Franklin and Mitch Mays with Franklin County Development to tour the Vina Industrial Site and discuss plans for its further development and growth. I appreciate both gentlemen along with Board member, Clint Dotson, meeting with and updating me on this matter.

I was also able to travel to Lamar County to meet with parents and seniors at Lamar County High School as they discussed their plans after high school. It is my hope that they will all pursue further educational opportunities to acquire skills they will need for the jobs of the future and that they will return to Lamar County to help with economic growth and development.

I attended the Farmers Federation meetings in Fayette and Marion County. I enjoyed the fellowship and food. I appreciate all that the farmers do for our economy as well as the good job the federation does it representing the interest of the farmers.

This past week, the Alabama Secretary of State, Beth Chapman, announced that Alabama’s military and overseas voters will have a faster and more convenient way of receiving absentee ballots for November’s federal elections. The state has signed a contract with SCYTL USA that will allow for electronic transmission of ballots. This method is only available to military and overseas voters. It is good to see the State work with this program which will allow our military to have their votes counted.

This past week was also a good one for grants in our senate district. I was able to present multiple grants in Franklin County including the following:

$1,000 to the Franklin County Archives Seekers of the Past program

$2,500 to the Phil Campbell High School baseball program

$2,500 to the Belgreen High School booster club

$1,000 to the Red Bay High School boys basketball program

$1,000 total to four Red Bay kindergaten classes


The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs also announced the awarding of several grants in our senate district including the following:

$172,000 for the Town of Hodges, located in Franklin County, to be used to purchase 290 acres of former Illinois Central Railroad railbed to create a 24 mile equestrian trail

$25,410 to the City of Red Bay to acquire .23 acres in the downtown commercial district for an urban green space park

$23,000 to the Town of Littleville to construct a new playground for small children

$50,000 to the Colbert County Commission to construct a new public campground with 20 full service sites and a restroom facility

$133,000 to Shelton State Community College to be used to administer traffic safety projects and grants in West Alabama

$35,308 to Shelton State Community College for the West Alabama Traffic Safety to continue to provide law enforcement agencies of West Alabama with overtime funds

$211,400 to the Northwest Shoals Community College to continue implementation of the Child Passenger Safety program in the nine community traffic safety program regions

$249,612.50 to Northwest Shoals Community College for the North Alabama Highway Safety Office to continue implementation of the ADECA/LETS Highway Safety programs in North Alabama region to include the ten counties of Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Lawrence, Limestone, Lauderdale, Madison, Marion, Morgan and Winston Counties

$61,390 to Northwest Shoals Community College for the North Alabama Highway Safety Office Community Traffic Safety Program to continue to implement the ADECA/LETS Selective Traffic Enforcement Program known as STEP to the 68 law enforcement jurisdictions in Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Morgan and Winston Counties. The project includes an estimated 18,200 overtime enforcement hours targeted at high crash times, location sand periods as well an extensive public education and awareness campaign to enhance enforcement efforts of Alabama’s traffic safety laws

$61,222 to the Northwest Shoals Community College to focus on youth and adult driving under the influence for the counties of Colbert, Cullman, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Marion, Morgan and Winston

It is great to see so many funds coming to the senate district to improve the quality of life and safety of our communities.

Hopefully, a good many of you also got to get out and enjoy the annual Watermelon Festival in Russellville, Franklin County. This annual festival brings thousands to the area and greatly helps with revenue and taxes.

I hope all of you had a great start to the school year. I am looking forward to the upcoming high school and college football season. I know that our area teams will do well.

Should you need to reach me for any reason please do so at the following addresses.


Roger H. Bedford, Jr.
Alabama State House
Suite 730
Montgomery, AL 36130

Phone:334-242-7862
Fax:334-353-4304

Roger H. Bedford, Jr.
P.O. Box 370
Russellville, AL 35653

Phone: 256-332-2880
Fax:256-332-7821
Email: Senbedford@aol.com
www.rogerhbedford.com